Sunday pay for employees on retail and hospitality awards will increase from this weekend, with the impact of the annual award wage increase more than counteracting the impact of the first stage of the reduction in penalty rates, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said today.
James Pearson, CEO of the Australian Chamber, said: “While unions are deliberately seeking to whip up fear for everyone who works in retail and hospitality on a Sunday, and in the wider community, with talk of ’massive cuts’ to penalty rates, the reality will be very different.
“The Fair Work Commission’s phasing of the penalty rates decision means that the 220,000 people affected by the changes – those who currently work Sundays on retail and hospitality awards – will see an increase in their pay from 1 July 2017, including on a Sunday.
“Once you factor in the 3.3 per cent award wage increase, from July 1 a retail assistant will be paid $313 a day for an eight-hour Sunday shift. That’s more that the current $311 a day.
“Sundays will still be paid more than any other day of the week.
“With the changes due to take effect from next weekend, it is time the union movement came clean and ended their deliberate campaign of misinformation.
“It is time retail and hospitality industry staff are told the truth – they can expect a pay rise on 1 July.”
